The Portland daily press., 1887-04-20
MRS. JAMES K. POLK.
The Sweet-Faced Old Lady of Nash
vile, Tennessee.

II called to-day and paid my respects to
the venerable widow Of the tenth President
Of the United States" says a correspondent
writing from Nashville, Tenn, to the Cincin-
natl Enquirer.
The footsteps Of more than four-score
years have left their traces upon the shapely
head Of the former Tennessee beauty; her
form is bowed and her step is short and fee
BILE and tottering, but there remain many
and unmistakable traces Of the womanly
graces which once shone so eonspicuously in
the White House.
while the general health Of Mrs. Polk is
remarkably good for one so advanced in
years, she has been slightly indisposed for
few days past, owing to the changeable
weather, so that had to confne myself to
only paying my respects to the former Presi-
dents widow. She expressed the hope that
would call again some other day, when her
health was fully restored and when she
would be able to talk to her visitor. / am
told that she has a wonderfully retentive
memory and talks most instructively about
the public events which occurred Immediate
ly before, during and Immediately after her
husbands administration.
1T is now almost half q century since
Mrs. Polk, in the full maturity of woman
hood, occupied the place nov so gracefully
filled by the young and beautiful Frances
Folsom Cleveland Nine Presidents had
preceded her advent in the executive man
sion. She has seen twelve successors Of her
husband follow, of whom but two are living
Mrs. Polk has lived during twenty of the
twenty-five administrations, andis well-nigh
contemporane0us with the republic itself
She was a little child when Jefferson rescued
1t from the Federal conspiracy to subvert the
government and establish a constitutional
monarchy. She was in the full bloom of her
young womanhood when the invincible Ten
nessean, the courageous and patriotic jack
son, whose bones repose at the Hermitage, a
dozen miles distant, throttled the bank cor
p0ratl0n and burned up the remnant of Fed
eralism in the fire of his indignation.
Today looking almost across the bor-
ders of century, she sees the government
once more in the hands of her husbands par
ty, and President heset by the same fury
within and without his party that assailed
jackson, and gave him the opportunity to
impress his name and character indelibly
upon the pages of our national history.
The Polk homestead is a large, roomy
two story brick fronting on Union and Vine
streets, with ample grounds about ii, modest
ly and tastefully ornamented with shrubbery
and flowers On the fronts rise immense
wooden columns, appearing like stone at
little distance, supporting verandas which
spring out from the caves. The windows
are all old fashioned, as is everything else
about the house. Within are broad halls and
stairways, and great square rooms filled with
antique and rich furniture. Nearly all the
surrounding houses are Of modern architec-
ture, and in striking contrast with the old
mansion, every nook and Granny and angle
Of which are full of the footprints Of Father
Time.
I'm the middle of the quadrangular slope
that lies next Vine street is the tomb of the
tenth Presidents of plain granite, with a
square shaft rising a few feet, the whole can
opied with the same material, resting upon
four plain granite pillars. The canopy, on
scription: james X. Polk, tenth President
of the United States; born Nov. 2, 1885; died
June 10, 1849."
ION the shaft above the crypt is chiselled
an epitome of his public career, from which
we learn that he was a member of the Ten
nessee Legislature, Governor of the State,
member of Congress, chairman of its most
important committees, Speaker of the House
of Representatives and President of the Unit
ed States.
without being a really great man, James
X. Polk became President of the United
States owing to the faetional quarrels and
the divisions Of greater Democrats on vital
questions of policy. He came in as com
promise, and never had the opportunity, and
perhaps, lacked the ability to rise above the
Oh HIS uOIullldbAOu anu tltC-
tiOn. His election settled the question of
annexing the Republic of Texas and forced
the war with Mexico. Four years later, af-
ter great empire had been added to the I'M
ion, the Whig. party, the opponents of annex
alton, made their last great national rally
and elected Zachary Taylor, the militarist,
over Lewis Cass, one Of the foremost Ameri-
can statesmen of the age. And what ridic-
ulous campaign that was-a victory Of catch
words: Gen, Taylors old white horse, his
title Of Rough and Ready" and his "A lit
tie more grape, Capt. Bragg" Joined to the
well sustained ridicule of Gen. Cass's mill
tary exploits, captured the people and ele-
waited most competent general, but q
most incompetent statesman to the Office
of President. Lewis Cass held a
command under Gen. Hull in the war of
1912, and when Hull surrendered very basely
to the British, he included Cass and his COM
mand in the scapitulation. When the de-
mand was made upon Cass that he turn over
his sword to British officer, he Indignantly
refused, thrust his blade into a convenient
stump and broke it to pieces. This was re-
ally meritorious, patriotic and soldierly
act but when the ruling rhymesters and pun
sters took it up in the campaign Of '4S they
made it appear like cowardice Of the most
ridiculous character, and caricatured him as
running into cornteld and vainly trying to
break. his sword by thrusting il into big
pumpkin.
The Democrats m1gnI nave counteracted
this powerful argument had they known one
thing in connection with Gen. Taylor. After
the Whig convention had nominated him
committee was appointed to notify him and
secure his acceptance. This they did by
writing him letter, which they posted with
out paying the 70 cents due for carrying II
through the mails. When the letter reached
his postofice address, some place in Louisi-
ana-Baton Rouge, think-he refused to
pay the postage and take it out. The COM
mittee waited in vain for his reply, and
L..
about it, He had to pay the postage on the
letter and deliver 1t personally to Gen. Tay-
lor, who after few days deliberation wrote
a reply accepting.
Had this come to the ears Of the Demo-
Gratis before the election they could have dis
counted the pumpkin story and possibly have
elected Cass to the Presidency. Presidential
candidates in this way would willinglypay
the postage on notification Of nomination,
and they wouldn't hesitate to take the risk
Of the missive reaching the Dead Letter
Office.
President Polk was anything but one of
the foremost actors in the prelude which led
to the fearful tragedy of the civil war. 1t
would be curious to know the thoughts OF his
aged and accomplished widow upon the white
tomb of her beloved and highly honored dead
concerning the events that began to focus
about her brief and graceful reign in the
White House, and eliminated in series OF
fierce battles so near her home that the deto.
nation of the heavy artillery shook her state
ly'mansion from cope to foundation stone,
and the bursting she'll and cruel mimic ball
for time turned this beautiful city into a
great hospital, and transformed the wheat
fields of a hundred sunny slopes into pleth-
oric graveyards.
What a wonderful lifetime has this
sweet-faced old lady lived, who stands to-
day with either hand upon almost the outer
rim Of rounded century, looking across the
grave of her illustrious husband, bordered
with green grass, scented with blooming hy-
acinGhs aud Illuminated with tulips and the
golden dandelion, through the wreck and
carnage Of war that left her beautiful Ten
nessee but little else than wilderness, until
she can once more see that State blossoming
like the rose, as fair and blithe and joyous a,
the fairest of the sisterhood, and more richly
lowered than Sheba, Dido or Cleopatra.
May the tender light Of her eyes shine down
upon the tenth Presidents tomb for many
years to comep'